IPL 2018: Highlights: Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Mumbai Indians: Easy win for RCB

Royal Challengers Bangalore beat Mumbai Indians by 14 runs to stay alive in the IPL

Bengaluru, May 1: Royal Challengers Bangalore have struggled to produce a cohesive effort in this edition of the IPL. But on Tuesday (May 1), Royal Challengers Bangalore managed to align the three elements perfectly to carve a 14-run win over Mumbai Indians at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.

The Royal Challengers made 167/7 in their stipulated 20 overs after being asked to bat first and then restricted Mumbai Indians to 153/7 on a pitch that played far slower than the usual Chinnaswamy strip.

Let's deconstruct the Royal Challengers Bangalore victory - their third in eighth game. It was all about those few big overs.

After three overs, Royal Challengers Bangalore were 11/0 and in desperate need for some momentum. And there was no imposing presence of AB de Villiers either as he was yet to recover fully from a viral fever that he suffered ahead of the match against Kolkata Knight Riders.

Then came OVER No 4: Jean Paul Duminy came for his off-spin and Manan Vohra exploited the opportunity to the hilt. A sequence of 6, 4, 6, 4 saw Royal Challengers amassing 22 runs and at the end of the over they were 33/0. Suddenly Royal Challengers were looking up.

OVER No 10: The first over of Hardik Pandya. Brendon McCullum cashed in on some flawed length by the pacer. Baz sliced Pandya for a six off a no-ball and the free hit too was deposited into the stands for a six. The second six was even more stunning - a premeditated, full-blooded scoop over the head of wicketkeeper Ishan Kishan.

OVER No 18: Pandya makes amends for that expensive 10th over. He bowled a series of back of the length deliveries and three Royal Challengers Bangalore batsmen - Mandeep Singh, Virat Kohli and Washington Sundar - looked to tee off and all of them perished in the deep. RCB are 141/6 and they added only two more runs in the 19th over losing Tim Souhtee.

OVER No 20: This over turned the match over its head. Mitchell McClenaghan, who bowled an excellent first spell, came in for the final over. Colin de Grandhomme, McClenaghan's fellow Kiwi, hammered him for 24 runs including three sixes, one off a no-ball and the final one off a free hit.

The over propelled Royal Challengers Bangalore to 167 for seven - a par for the course total on a biting surface.

OVER No 4 (MI innings): Umesh Yadav has been in splendid form in this IPL taking regular wickets upfront for Royal Challengers. He did an encore in an important match. The fast bowler first trapped in-form Surya Kumar Yadav plumb in front. Yadav went for review - more in hope than in any real conviction after consulting partner Duminy. Result was negative for him.

In the very next ball, Yadav sliced open Rohit Sharma with a fast inswinger and stumper Quinton de Kock, who flew to his left for a superb take, was absolutely certain that the ball had come off the inside shoulder of Rohit's bat. He animatedly requested for a review and that was not wasted. There indeed was an edge and Mumbai Indians suddenly found themselves at 21/3.

Mumbai Indians gasped for momentum thereon and none of their batsmen could replicate those few, big overs of Royal Challengers Bangalore

OVERS 17-20: In the 16th over Pandya brothers - Hardik and Krunal - extracted 17 runs off De Grandhomme. Mumbai Indians needed 45 off last 24 balls. And Royal Challengers Bangalore were in that danger zone.

In some of the previous matches, the Royal Challengers bowlers had generously given away runs to the opposition in the death overs. Hardik, who made a fine 50, was still there carrying Mumbai's hopes.

Will there be an encore or will they be able to buck the trend? They did the latter, for once. Southee and Mohammed Siraj combined to defend those runs and the pace bowling duo conceded only 30 runs from four overs as they bowled a series of yorkers to deny room for Mumbai Indains' batsmen.

In fact, in that span of four overs Mumbai managed only two fours and a six, which came off the inconsequential last ball.

Team effort. Kohli's birthday gift to his wife Anushka. Call whatever you want, Royal Challengers Bangalore have managed to stay alive in the competition.